Storm lantern



Dec. 7, 1937.

B. NIER 2,101,409

STORM LANTERN Filed July 14, 1956 Patented Dec. 7, 1 937 iJNiTE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 14, 1936, Serial No. 90,573 In Germany July 20, 1935 4 Claims.

It is known that storm lanterns constructed in the usual way, particularly those with a reduced combustion space per Hefner candle power, fail when they are employed in hotter districts even though they operate satisfactorily at the temperatures encountered in a moderate climate.

It has been found that this disadvantage can be avoided by making the wick tube of a material which is a good conductor of heat, more particularly copper. The production of the entire wick tube of copper or similar good heat conducting materials involves a material increase in the cost of the lantern.

An object of the invention is, therefore, to produce storm lanterns which burn satisfactorily in all circumstances employing ordinary materials, more particularly galvanized iron, even for the wick tube.

In the construction hitherto known the socalled flame plate of the storm lantern burner was connected with the wick tube in a manner giving relatively good thermal conduction, so as to transfer to the wick tube itself the heat arising during the period the lantern was burning and this was the reason why the lantern did not burn satisfactorily in warm climates.

According to the present invention the defects which have been observed in connection with prior devices are overcome by providing the flame plate with elements of a material which is a good conductor of heat, which elements conduct the heat arising at the flame plate into the fuel container or into the surrounding atmosphere. By reason of such construction no undesired heating of the wick tube can take place. These elements of good heat conducting material may for example take the form of wires, bars or ribs of copper or the like. Such heat conducting elements are associated with the wick tube and extend from the flame plate into the fuel reservoir or else into the surrounding atmosphere.

A petroleum burner in which strips of material forming a good conductor of heat and intended to convey the heat from the upper part of the wick tube into the surrounding atmosphere, is

known. In such constructions, however, the in tention was to prevent the heat from being transferred from the flame to the fuel container, because it was thought that the transfer of heat to the fuel container was the reason why a frequent adjustment of the flame was necessary. Thus, according to the known construction, strips of material which are a good conductor of heat are provided at the upper part of the wick guide and a gap was established in the wick guide to interrupt the connection with the lower part of the wick tube. In such manner it was intended to ensure with certainty that the heat at the upper part of the Wick tube bekept remote from the fuel container.

According to the present invention the heat is directed to the fuel container because it is recognized that in this way it is transmitted to the oil vessel and. thus to the entire peripheral surface of the lantern and cannot be detrimental.

It is also known to secure a downwardly curved plate rigidly to the wick tube and to perforate the parts remote from the wick tube. It is not possible by such construction to obtain a reliable removal of the heat by conduction because the plate surrounding the wick tube is not connected to the container for the fuel.

Two embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing.

' Fig. l is a view partially in section and partially in elevation of a side view of a burner constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional View showing a modification of a part of the burner.

The burner consists of the lower burner section 2 which is positioned on the fuel reservoir l, the burner cap 3, the Wick tube 4 and the flame plate 5. All these elements are constructed in the usual way and are made from the material normally employed. To conduct away the heat arising at the flame plate 5, according to the invention one or more copper wires 6 extend into the fuel reservoir from the flame part 5. The miniber and the thickness of the copper wires employed is determined in accordance with the circumstances in each case. Naturally, any other material which is a'good conductor of heat can be employed in place of copper. Instead of allowing the copper wires to hang down into the fuel container they can be positioned so as to conduct the heat to the outer atmosphere. Also both constructions can be employed simultaneously.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 a ring '1 of insulating material such as asbestos is provided between the flame plate 5 and the wick tube 4 to prevent the heat from passing from the flame plate to the wick tube 4. The wires 6 for carrying the heat away from theburner plate are also provided in this modification;

Experiments have shown that a lantern constructed in accordance with the present invention actually burns satisfactorily at all outer temperatures which arise. Thus the necessity for making the entire wick tube of copper is avoided and a few thin copper wires are suflicient. In this way there is a considerable saving in copper and the entire burner can be made from sheet iron as usual.

I claim: 1. A storm lantern comprising, a fuel reservoir,

a burner cap supported on said reservoir and.

adapted to provide a cover therefor, a wick tube extending from said reservoir into said cap, a substantially flat flame plate embracing the wick tube and supported at the top thereof, and heat conducting elements attached to the under side of said flame plate and extending into said reservoir.

3. A storm lantern comprising, a fuel reservoir, a burner cap supported on said reservoir and adapted to provide a cover therefor, a Wick tube extending from said reservoir into said cap, a substantially flat flame plate embracing the wick tube and supported at the top thereof, and metal elements adapted to conduct the heat more efficiently than said wick tube attached to the under side of said flame plate and extending into said reservoir.

4. A storm lantern comprising, a fuel reservoir, a burner cap supported on said reservoir and adapted to provide a cover therefor, a wick tube extending from said reservoir into said cap, a flame plate supported by an insulating member which is carried by the top of said wick tube, and heat conducting elements attached to said flame plate and extending into said reservoir.

BRUNO NIER. 

